Korean Job Discussion Forums

[manlyboy]

I have a sixth grade class who seem bored with life itself. I've used the exact same games and activities that have got other classes rocking, but they only ever evoke an at best minimal response from these guys.
I believe a good warm-up activity would set the tone nicely for later activities, but they're kind of fickle over this also. Some stuff I've tried works, some doesn't. Surprisingly, Simon Says is a big hit, but I don't want to overuse it.
Who's got some good warm-up activities? They don't necessarily have to be educational. Just something I can do for 2-3 minutes at the start of the lesson to get 40 unenthusiastic kids focused and energized.

[chronicpride]

What about 'I Spy' for color-review, 'What Time is it, Mr. Wolf?' for telling time-review. Mr.Wolf was always a massive hit, in my classes. Or you can review counting, with the 3-6-9 game. Everyone sits in a circle and counts in rotation, but whenever someone gets to something with 3,6, or 9, in it, they have to clap, instead of talk. Or clap twice, as in '33, 36', etc...

Worst case, break out a pack of cards and teach them how to play 'President and Ass-hole'.

[manlyboy]

Ahhh! Of course. I spy might work well, but I'll probably need to offer some kind of reward as leverage to get them going.

What's the time, Mr. Wolf? Where I come from, that's a chasing game played in the schoolyard. How do you play it in class?

Counting games are good for energizing them, but not what I want for a warm up. Great for a dozen or so students, but with 40 kids of vastly different ability levels, those activites are hard to manage, and can get out of control. I want to have their eyes and ears focused on the same thing in an easy to understand, controlled yet fun activity.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[OiGirl]

Their favorite songs, accompanied by TPR actions. (You may have to experiement for a while to find their favorite songs.)

It sounds like you don't have this problem, but I find this to be an axcellend technique to get them to come to class on time! Don't save all the good stuff for last, use some of it to get them in the door.

[schwa]

Granted I'm dealing with 2nd year middleschool but I dont see why this wouldnt work a couple years younger too. Bounce into class & insist on loud vocal response. Again, no, louder! Circulate the room. Single out students for individual response: How ya doing? Pick on kids who are hiding or chatting. Joke them up.

Call on students randomly (student number?) -- make them stand & respond to an easy repeated question. What did you do last night? What did you do on the weekend? Accept easy answers with corrections where it will help. Nonthreatening. Fast-paced. Open it up to volunteers. Establish a point system where effort gets rewarded. Be consistent -- kids will start to come prepared & with some astonishing answers.

I could have used up a whole class this morning on that intro but cut it off after 15 minutes to get on with a lesson. Humor & predictability, seldom fails. I've had heartening success with classes of 35 middle school kids, & I've had small classes of 10-year-olds vying with hands raised to tell a story. These same kids approach me outside class just to talk. Isnt that why we're here?

[I_Am_Wrong]

funny...I'm having the exact same problem with one group of public elementary grade 6's. Simon Says always works well but I don't want to overuse it. I only like using Eye Spy with younger groups, could you please explain What Time is it Mr. Wolf? I vaguely remember that from when I was a kid. I taught one of my grade 4 classes If you're happy and you know it clap your hands and they absolutely love it...songs like that (that use actions that go hand in hand with song work wonders as a warm up activity).

[I_Am_Wrong]

Schwa is also right...enthusiasm is key. If you don't show enthusiasim then the kids won't and if the kids are acting bored pump it up a bit. I always have to remind myself to do this and not get stuck in one mode because it'll end up in a vicious cycle of you and them acting bored...something that will only work against ya.

Schwa...you sound like you'd be lots of fun.

[d503]

If you don't mind it being non-educational I find heads up seven up a good way to get my kids excited about being there, not to mention it quiets them down and gives them a chance to work off some energy.
The game goes like this, 7 kids are called to the front of the class they yell out, "Heads down thumbs up." to which the rest of the class puts their heads on their desk, closes their eyes, and sticks up their thumbs, each of the seven standing puts a sitting kids thumbs down and then gets back to the front of the class. When all are back at the front they yell out "Thumb down stand up." the seven kids who are standing have to pick the person who put their thumb down, if they are right they go to the front.

[I_Am_Wrong]

whoa!!! heads up seven up is a rad game!!! That used to always be our favourite game to play in Russian class when I was a kid. I'm totally doing that.

[manlyboy]

Hmmm. I think I'll give "heads up seven up" a try this morning.

Enthusiasm is definitely a key aspect of teaching. I always aim to present my lessons very enthusiastically, and with 21 of my 22 classes this is generally enough to make a dull atmosphere more electric. Enthusiasm tends to be infectious. But with this one particular group, it just isn't enough. I tried something similar to what Schwa suggested with easy repeated questions to random students in a non-threatening way. I offered candy as a reward. I tossed a ball to various kids and asked questions like "what day is it today"? Honestly, half of them didn't even try to catch the ball! They literally watched it sail through the air and land in their laps, and then they just stared at it! This is the ONLY class I have ever seen in four and a half years of teaching that consistently behaves like this.

Oi Girl. Using songs is a great idea, although I haven't tried it that much in the past. Could you recommend some songs that are popular with your kids?